Visio Obscura
by KuroiCho
Summary: Drama, OC. The HOLY captives a Native alter user, who has a potential for a good officer but a bad attitude and dark secrets in the past. Please don't prejudice because of the OC, ne? Up to chapter 6.
1. The first attack

Title: Visio Obscura

Author: KuroiCho

Genre: OC, drama

Rating: PG, will go up in the later parts

A/N: Hn. So. My Scryed OC-fic. I hope you won't prejudice the fic only because it's OC. I'm trying my best to create original characters. If you're interested about this, please review. It might take some time before I can upload the next chapter because I'm going to be quite busy during next week. I hope you enjoy the fic!

Btw. The mentioned "Alter fire" is the name is use about the light that surrounds Alter users when they call forth their Alter.

* * *

"Ryuhou!"

The green-haired man turned around to face his commander, Martin Zigmarl. The older man handed him a small bundle of papers. Ryuhou took them, with a raised eyebrow.

"What's this all about?" he asked.

"An alarm", Zigmarl answered, "from an elderly couple in the uneducated side of the Lost Ground. They said a stranger broke in to their garden shed and has now locked itself inside. From their telling it sounds like a Native Alter User."

Ryuhou glanced at the papers in his hands and nodded.

"I see. I'll call a group and take care of it."

Zigmarl turned around and started walking away, but still said over his shoulder:

"It's nothing serious, though. It didn't sound like an emergency."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

"So, this is where he's been hiding, then?" Ryuhou looked around the shed, careful not to go too close. The couple some way behind him nodded.

"Yes, um.. he's been there for two days now", the man said. Ryuhou turned to face them.

"Have you seen anything alarming that might tell he's an Alter User?"

The old man fidgeted a bit and looked at the woman beside him.

"No.. I haven't. My wife told me she saw.. something."

Ryuhou turned his inquiring look at the elderly woman. She cleared her throat.

"Yes, it was two days then, when it was already almost night. It was dark and I thought I saw something moving in the garden. Then I thought I just imagined it. But the next morning I tried to go in the shed I saw -after I opened the door- that there was someone in there. And then -and I swear I didn't mean any harm- then I.."

Her voice went quiet and died away. Ryuhou raised an eyebrow and glanced at his HOLY colleague who was with him, a man named Takaki.

"Then what?"

The old lady shivered visibly.

"I-I heard.. voices. In my head. They just came out of nowhere and- and.. then.. there were weird.. images. I don't know where they came from, they just flowed into my head and I couldn't stop them, I.." She couldn't find the words to finish her sentence and took a deep breath. Ryuhou turned away from the couple.

"Sounds like a mind alterer", he said to Takaki. The man nodded. Ryuhou unconsciously straightened his uniform and took a position few metres away from the shed.

"So, following the plan I'll let Zetsuei take care of the breaking in and if there's any problems you take care of them."

"Roger."

"And you two would most likely want to step back a bit", Ryuhou said over his shoulder. The old couple backed away some steps. Ryuhou turned his concentration into his Alter and soon felt the slight tingling feeling in his neck and the back of his head as Zetsuei formed in front of him. He heard the couple take a sharp breath as chunks of earth vanished from their garden. He ignored them and concentrated again..

_Zetsuei, attack forward_. The alter swished its deadly ribbons and aimed them at the shed's door. In a flash they punctured the rough wooden surface and threw the door wide open. Ryuhou felt the other alter's attack come immediately as there was a flash of Alter fire seen in the darkness of the shed. Something looking like a pale mist came out of the door and surrounded Zetsuei. Ryuhou startled a bit at its speed but as it didn't seem to do anything to his alter, he sent another command.

_Zetsuei, dissolve the attack_. Zetsuei's ribbons shot into the shed, apparently aiming for the Native Alter user. For a moment Ryuhou felt his attention fading. The other alter was attacking Zetsuei instead of him, but he could still hear faint whispers in his head.

_..shh, quiet.. it won't hurt._. Laughter. Quiet weeping. Ryuhou felt there was a quick flash of something in his head but he couldn't see what_. ..shh, little thing.. you're just.. so.._ For a moment it seemed as if the world was getting dimmer and the light was going out. But only for a second. Ryuhou took a deep breath. The voices were gone and he looked up. Takaki was entering the shed and disappeared for a moment. Then he came out, carrying a limp figure in his arms.

"It seems the attack took all his powers", he said. Ryuhou nodded and took a closer look. It seemed the alter user had been in the run for some time now. His hair was all tangled and he was as thin as a... Ryuhou frowned. There's something wrong.

Zetsuei vanished into the air and Ryuhou stepped closer to take a better look of the figure's face. He brushed aside a lump of dark, ragged hair and his eyes widened a bit.

"It's a girl", he said curtly. Takaki frowned and looked at the alter user. Indeed, the slender facial structure gave away a certain feminine look. She was just so thin she had lost all possible curves and her overloose clothes just strengthened the impression.

"You think we should get her to the headquarters?"

Ryuhou thought this for a moment. Then nodded.

"Yeah. Can you take her?" he asked, and his companion nodded, "Good. Well then, let's get going."

He turned away and bid farewell to the elderly couple before exiting the back yard.

* * *

All she could say was there was lot of pain. Waves of horrible, throbbing pain washing through her head and ending behind her eyes. She opened them.

First she saw nothing, only darkness. She thought it was only because she had been unconscious for so long, but then she realized it really was pitch black. She slowly sat up from the base she'd been lying on.

_What the.. Where am I?_ She slung her feet over the edge of the metallic bed and tried the floor. Right, felt like concrete, a cold and flat surface. She felt her eyes slowly getting used to the dark and she started to discern the outlines of the walls. There was also a door, though it was most likely locked. Then she looked at the floor and noticed a tray with a plate on it. She tried to stand up and run to it, but her knees gave in and she fell to the floor_. Shit, I'm still too weak.. _She looked up and crawled forward. Tasting the food, and deciding it was not poisoned or drugged, she quickly gorged it into her mouth, faintly savoring the taste of a decent meal.

After getting some nourishment she tried standing up again, but still not succeeding. She crawled to the door and stroked the cold surface, then tried to push but it wouldn't move an inch. She let her fists fall down and cleared her throat.

"Hello?" She flinched a bit, surprised by the hoarseness of her voice. She swallowed hard and tried again. "Hello? Anybody hear?" _Much better_, she thought, although she couldn't make out if she was sarcastic or not. She listened for a while, then decided it was obvious nobody was going to come. She groaned slightly, crawled back to the bed and pulled herself up. Then she closed her eyes and tried to sleep some more. As if.

* * *

"Any signs of waking up or action from the Native 374?"

Some papers passed over the table, and the quiet rustling of files being moved and scanned.

"It's seems not. When was the last check about the Natives?"

"Umm, an hour and five minutes ago. But I have to file this up."

"Okay. I'll send someone else."

A young HOLY officer rose from the table and left the others. On the way to the basement floor he stopped a guardian and asked for the keys. The guardian eyed him evaluatingly.

"You sure you have the permission to go there, young lad?"

"I have. I'm an officer. Hand over the keys."

_That's age racism, that's what it is_. The young officer stomped towards the elevators and felt his sudden anger disperse. _Ah, I got to keep myself cool with those Natives. I'll get shouted again if I screw up_. Taking a deep breath he watched as the elevator doors closed and started descending.

His footsteps echoed in the dark hallway. He stopped in front of the newest Native's cell and took a glance inside from the small window. He saw nothing and knocked gently.

"Hey, you awake?" he tried to sound tough, and hoped it worked.

He pricked up his ears and screwed up his eyes. Then he realized something moved inside the room. He knocked again.

"You there. Answer if you can."

"..p-_please_.. help me.. I.." The voice was weak, and slightly high-pitched. The officer's eyes widened. _A girl?_

"W- What do you mean, help you?"

"I.. I'm.. _hurt_."

The officer's heart jumped a bit, and his -always reproached- habit of patronage came up. _A young girl, hurt_. His hands fumbled with the keys.

"H-Hold on, I'm coming in."

There was a click and the door opened. The man stepped testily inside.

"Hello? Are you-"

Then it hit him. _The voices. The images._

_..please, please don't hurt me. Please.._

The girl sat on the bed, surrounded by Alter fire.

"You..said..", he fought for words, "..said you were.. hurt.."

The girl smiled distortedly. She mouthed the words, "_I lied_."

_..shut up, shut up shut up shut up shut UP! you little slut or I'll hurt you more.._

_ ..and there was blood.. my god there was blood.._

"It hurts! Stop! Please stop!" He heard himself screaming. And he screamed. It hurt. And he _screamed_.

* * *

A shock went through the officers around the tabled. A scream from the basement floors reached their ears, though faintly. Ryuhou looked around alertly.

"Did anyone go down there?" he asked.

A younger female officer bowed slightly and answered.

"Y-Yes, I think Mitsuru was sent there just a while ago."

Ryuhou widened his eyes and stated to run. _Sending a new officer to check the Natives! That's insane!_ He quickly beckoned a not so busy-looking officer to join him and they hurried towards. And all the way, the screaming continued.

* * *

"P-Please.. stop!"

She let the man's begging drift past her ears_. Like I would give you any mercy. Like you gave me any._ She glanced up and smirked at the sight of the man crawling on the floor. _You filthy pigs. You're all the same._

The sound of steps drawing near brought her back to reality_. The others must've heard the scream_. A man with green hair and a HOLY uniform appeared on the door-way. _Shit_.

She quickly commanded her alter to attack him. He tried to repel it, but was too slow. She watched as his face turned into a grimace of horror, just like all the others when attacked by her alter.

* * *

_She's.. too fast! I must repel the attack, but.. I can't.. concentrate._

Ryuhou tried to fight against the voices rising inside his head. He felt breaking into cold sweat.

_..stop, STOP please stop I don't want to play.. I don't want to.. not anymore.. STOP!_

Suddenly the hallway seemed oddly dark and Ryuhou saw a man approaching him. But there wasn't any outsiders in the corridor..? Then they were there. _Hands._ Touching him.. _there_. Ryuhou struggled, the touch wasn't wanted, he felt sick. The voices mixed up with his own thoughts.

_..stop stop STOP I don't want to.._ It felt like someone had slashed a whip over his spine, the pain crept inside his back and spread to his stomach and legs.

_It hurts! Please.. somebody.. help._

Then, like a miracle, he felt the muscles in the back of his skull tighten and the familiar feeling of Zetsuei forming filled his head. The voices were gone. Ryuhou looked up and reacted immediately.

"Zetsuei, attack!" The alter's ribbons shot forwards into the cell, capturing the girl's wrists and pushing her off her feet. He heard a faint scream and the pale mist hovering in the corridor disappeared. Ryuhou quickly wiped the sweat off of his forehead and went to help the young HOLY officer to stand up again.

He called Zetsuei back and slammed the cell's door shut. He looked through the small window and spoke to the girl.

"Apparently you think to be pretty smart. Attacking an innocent officer, that sounds pretty stupid to me. You'll just get yourself in trouble, you hear me?"

The girl showed no signs of hearing him. Ryuhou frowned.

"There's no need to be that rude. We haven't done anything to you, we aren't trying to harm you in any way."

Now the girl sneered slightly and tilted her head so that she looked at Ryuhou through the fringe covering her eyes.

"Haven't done anything to me? You just keep on lying. You filthy pigs. You're all the same." She laughed and Ryuhou turned sharply around and walked away.

* * *


	2. Introducing a new face

Title: Visio Obscura

Author: KuroiCho

Genre: OC, drama

Rating: PG, will go up in the later parts

A/N: Hn. So. My Scryed OC-fic. I hope you won't prejudice the fic only because it's OC. I'm trying my best to create original characters. If you're interested about this, please review.

Thanks for everyone who reviewed!

**internet weaver: **It wasn't actually a misspell. The just cut it off too soon, for some reason. It's corrected now.

* * *

"Ryuhou-san, it's your turn to check the Natives."

The man felt a sudden coldness in his stomach. He had been avoiding the basement floor where the Natives were kept ever since the incident couple of days ago. He remembered the horrible feeling of something strange forcing its way into his head, the visions it made him see, hear, feel.. He felt a chill run over his spine.

_Get a grip on yourself, Ryuhou. She's just a..a.. stupid little girl!_

"Hai, I'll get going."

* * *

_..370, 371, 372, 373.._

Ryuhou kept counting the cells systematically. He stopped in front of one cell.

_..374?_ His eyes widened. _Not there_. He screwed up his eyes and tried to get a clear view of the cell through the window. Hopeless, it really was empty!

Ryuhou turned on his heels and ran back the hallway, into the elevator and up to the highest level.

* * *

"Ryuhou-san! Please wait, the commander is busy right now!"

"I don't care. We've got a Native on the loose", Ryuhou snapped back at the commander Zigmarl's secretary. The woman tried desperately to stop him.

"No, you don't see. He's already meeting someone."

Ryuhou broke away from the woman and made his way to the door and jerked it open.

"Commander Zigmarl! We have an emergen-" His sentence was cut off when he noticed the figure standing in front of the commander's desk. She was wearing a HOLY uniform, the bony and slightly boyish figure clad in the purple cloth, dark hair falling down on her neck and back.. Ryuhou's eyes shot wide open.

"_You!_" he shouted. The girl and commander Zigmarl turned to face him.

"Ryuhou", Zigmarl said in a slightly warning tone, "you ought to know to wait if I'm in the middle of a meeting."

"Bu- But commander Zigmarl! I came here to report of a runaway Native! And _she_", he pointed at the girl standing immovably under his gaze, "is the subject of the report!"

There was a short silence after which Zigmarl spoke in a quiet and patient tone:

"Yes, she is. You see, Ryuhou, this young girl you captived a few days ago has shown some rather impressive Alter using. Her Alter type is the first one I've seen to act this way. Not to mention it is very useful when paralyzing struggling Natives."

The commander gave Ryuhou a long look.

"Long story short, I've decided to let her join the HOLY."

"What?" Ryuhou cried out. Zigmarl gave him another long look and waited until he seemed to have calmed down again.

"Now then, Ryuhou. Don't be rude. You should be happy to welcome a new face to join the group." The commander gave a nod to the girl who turned to face Ryuhou and bowed to him.

"Amae Shikan in your service. It's very nice to meet you."

Ryuhou stared at her and introduced himself but did not bow. Shikan straightened again and smiled at him. Zigmarl cleared his throat:

"Right, now you two can leave here and get back to your work."

The pair turned on their heels and exited through the door. Immediately after the door closed Shikan turned to Ryuhou and said:

"I'm sorry about the incident in the cells. But it was my natural instinct to attack, you know? We were enemies then. But now, when we're both in HOLY, I promise never to use my Alter on you -or other HOLY officers- anymore." She gave a slightly embarrassed smile. "The commander was extremely strict about that."

"I wonder why", Ryuhou commented dryly. Shikan shot him a piercing glance.

"Fine, act like a child if you want. I apologized already."

She walked away, leaving Ryuhou standing in an uncomfortable feeling of not being able to vent his frustration.

* * *

_I hope not everyone are as rude as Ryuhou-san_. She strolled down the corridors, telling herself over and over again that she was not lost. Not even if all the corridors looked like the same and she found herself again and again in the same hall.

"Aw, shit", she cursed, sighed deep and leaned against the wall. Not too long after that she heard steps drawing close. They stopped near her and she raised her head. She found herself looking up at a tall, violently orange-haired man with pink glasses covering his eyes. He stared at her for some time before grinning broadly.

"Sooooo.. Never seen you here before. You must be new."

Shikan nodded and pushed herself off the wall.

"Yeah, I'm Shikan Amau. Nice to meet you." She held out her hand but the man ignored this gesture.

"Shikine? Nice to meet ya. I'm Cougar. Hope you like it here."

"No, it's Shi_kan_", Shikan corrected but Cougar just waved his hand, ignoring her. Again.

"Yeeesh, so if you're new here.. hey, have you met any people yet? The commander probably, since he's the one who appoints people into HOLY."

"Uh, yes. I've met him. I met Ryuhou-san as well, though he didn't seem that friendly."

Cougar's grin widened.

"Ah, our ol' Ryuhou-kun. He might be a bit of a joykill first but he's okay if you get to know him. He just takes his work very seriously."

"I know. I do take it seriously, too, but I'm not a--" She was cut off by a cool female voice echoing through the hallways.

"Alert. Section A2, please gather at the hall 2. Repeat, section A2, please gather..", the announcement informed. Shikan frowned.

"Alert? Does that mean..?"

"A Native User, most likely. But then again," Cougar turned to grin to Shikan, "It's for the section A2, so neither you or I need to worry about that." He looked at her and raised an eyebrow at her blank stare.

"What?"

"I.. I'm in section A2. The commander told me that."

Now Cougar's both eyebrows rose high.

"A2? A new officer?" he exclaimed. Shikan nodded. Cougar let out a sigh.

"Phew, you must've made a hell of a impression. But never mind that", he grinned and pushed up the glasses covering his eyes, "_You_ better get going. It's an alert for you."

Shikan straightened up. "Hai! I'll get going. Thank you, Cougar-san, it was nice talking to you." She bowed and took off. Cougar stared after her, letting his glasses fall back and chuckled lightly.

* * *

"The area is shown right here", Ryuhou pointed at the image of an abandoned factory hung on the wall of the helicopter, "There are two Natives hiding in the area, a boy and a girl. The task is to captive them and bring them back to the headquarters. Stun them, if needed. Any questions?" He raised his eyes at the group in front of him. Nobody said a word.

"Okay, then. Do your best."

"Attention, we're landing soon", the pilot announced.

"Hai, wakarimasu", Ryuhou answered. He took another look at the group, section A2. His eyes swept over the newcomer, Shikan Amae. _I can't understand why Commander decided to put her in this section. I guess I should forgive her. But I can't._ He shot another glance at her. _No. As long as I still remember those voices in my head, I won't forgive her.

* * *

_

Foot over foot. Try not to trip in the dark. Foot over foot.

They had searched in the abandoned factory for over 20 minutes, and they hadn't had a single glimpse of the two Natives. Shikan was starting to feel tired. Her feet started to hurt, and the darkness of the endless hallways was starting to depress her. She vaguely wondered if she had gotten lost. _My first mission and I'm already this beaten. I need to get a grip on myself_. She turned around a corner and stopped. For a moment she thought she had seen a glimpse of long, blond hair. She walked towards and now she was sure there was an extra pair of footsteps echoing in the hallway. She reached the next corner..

"_Electric radiation_." The whisper made the hairs in her neck to stand up. _Altering?_ She reacted quickly, summoning her own alter as she stepped over the corner.

"_Visio Obscura_."

* * *

Ryuhou stepped dead on his tracks. Normal human wouldn't have felt a thing, but he felt a strange current drifting through the air. _Altering? Have they caught someone?_ He turned around, towards the direction of the ripples, and took off in a run.

After some time Shikan took a closer look at the Native. It was a girl, blond hair long and ragged. She was rather incapable of attacking Shikan when she was captured under her Alter. Under the concentration she needed to keep her Alter gathered, Shikan started to feel slightly sorry for the girl. _She's young.. She can't be older than 11 years old. Just a kid.. almost the same age as I was when.._ Shikan felt a shiver go through her body_. Am I really making her go through the same as I? Make her hear the voices in her head for the rest of her life.. Making her feel the same.._ And just then, because of a second's disturbance in her concentration, Shikan felt her Alter fading and electricity making contact with her body.

Her breath caught in her throat. She felt her eyes watering. It hurt. It hurt _so much_..

"N-No.. stop it.. stop it!" _..stop it, stop it, stop it, I don't want to play.. any.. more.._

Something, or someone, broke off the electricity. The pain disappeared.. Shikan opened her eyes and realized her cheeks were wet. She quickly wiped them with the sleeves of her uniform. She then looked up and saw Ryuhou standing in front of him, Zetsuei a little way from them, holding the little girl who was now unconscious. Shikan felt -undeniably- embarrassed_. I couldn't take her on. I.. I had.. to be_ saved_.. by him! Shit_.

"I've caught her. We'd better take her into custody and get her to the helicopter", Ryuhou said and took a glance at Shikan, "And you, too."

"What do you mean?" Shikan asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, you don't look like you're capable of continuing," Ryuhou said without any apparent realizing that his words grated on Shikan. She felt her cheek's burning with discomfiture and anger.

"Y-Yes. I guess so."

* * *

When they got to the helicopter they found out the others had already caught the other Native. The way back was rather quiet. _I wonder if it's always this silent_, Shikan thought. She glanced up at Ryuhou who sat still on his seat and stared out of the window and she wondered if he too had heard the voices of her Alter.

* * *

"You.. did well."

Shikan closed the door of the cell and turned around. Ryuhou stared back at her.

"Say what?"

"You did well, considering it was your first mission. Even though you mustn't hesitate to attack Natives, regardless of their age, sex or other matters. Even a young girl like her", Ryuhou nodded towards the girl sleeping in the cell, "can control a massive amount of power."

Shikan nodded_. So much power.. and she's so young. She could probably even kill a person if she wanted_.. She felt herself twitch. Ryuhou was already walking away.

"By the way. Interesting name you got for your Alter. Visio Obscura", he said over his shoulder. Shikan showed no signs she had heard and followed him.


	3. As the hate deepens

Title: Visio Obscura

Author: KuroiCho

Genre: OC, drama

Rating: PG, will go up in the later parts

A/N: A question for you readers: Do you think the things are advancing too quickly? I've had a slight writer's block, which explains why the text is rather cramped from time to time. And my usual method in writing is that I have a few clear points in the plot, and then I just make up stuff between them. And currently I'm running short from the stuffing stuff. Oh, and another thing. The next chapter will take some time before I can put it up, because I'll be leaving to a week long camp next Sunday. Try to understand. And huge thanks to everyone who reviewed, you keep me going on!

* * *

"Mimori-san? Mimori-san!"

The dark-haired woman startled and turned around.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"The commander asked you to meet him in his office, ASAP."

Mimori nodded and turned back to the display of her computer and shut it off. She got up and was just walking out of her office when she felt someone bump on her side. She glanced next to her and found herself looking at a rather embarassed young officer.

"I'm sorry! I should've looked where I was going, I'm afraid I'm a little lost again..", the girl explained hurriedly. Mimori gave a soft smile.

"It's nothing. What's your name?"

"U-um, Shikan. Amae Shikan, miss."

"So, Amae-san, where are you heading to? If it's on my way I can give you a little help."

The girl looked relieved. "Hall C, miss."

"Ah, the third floor. Well, I'm going upwards too. Come along."

They walked to the elevator and stepped in. Mimori turned to Shikan.

"Have you been long in HOLY? I don't remember seeing you here before."

"Oh, no! I joined less than a week ago. That explains why I keep getting lost every now and then."

"So you're that new", Mimori said surprised, "I hope you've gotten along with the others."

"I have! I met this nice guy some days ago.. Cougar-san, If I remember right", Shikan's face wrinkled a bit as she tried to remember the face of the man, "He was nice, although he seemed to have some trouble saying my name right."

"You tell me", Mimori said dryly. Shikan smiled lightly.

There was a quiet _'ding'_ and the elevator's doors slid open. They stepped out.

"Now, the hall C is on the left. You just keep on walking you'll get to there. I'm going to right so I'll leave you here", Mimori advised Shikan. She nodded and bowed slightly:

"Yes, thank you! I'll get going." With that, she turned around and hurried forwards.

* * *

Shikan felt her eyelids starting to droop. Who knew that two hours lasting lectures were part of HOLY's training? All around her were other new officers, eager to receive the new information. It's not that the lecture was useless or boring, but Shikan had missed her breakfast and her sleeping problems at night didn't help the situation. Trying not to lose her face she sat up straight and forced her eyes open. _Get a grip on yourself._ _Just half an hour anymore._

Finally the older HOLY officer in the front of the auditorium turned off the overhead projector and told them to leave. Shikan gladly got up and zoomed out of the room. _Food_, the first thing she needed now. She turned left, to the cafeteria, when she felt hitting into someone. She staggered a bit and realized the person looked familiar.

"Aaah, I'm sorry! I keep bumping into people all along, I'm sorry, Ryu-", and then she stopped. After the first glance she noticed the person wasn't Ryuhou at all. This person had purple hair and was seemingly shorter. He looked at her surprised and then flashed an unsure smile.

"It's okay, it's kinda hard to see ahead of yourself in this crowd. Hm, I guess I should introduce myself." He extended his hand and Shikan shook it with respect. _Finally someone else who greets in this way!_

"I'm Asuka Tachibana, from the section A3."

"Shikan Amae, section A2. Nice to meet you, Tachibana-senpai."

"Please, just Asuka is fine. Anyway, you're probably new. Haven't seen you here before", Asuka commented with a raised eyebrow. Shikan nodded, faintly aware of the repeated sentence.

"Yes, I-", she started, but just then her stomach decided it had been too long without nourishment, letting out a huge growl. Shikan felt her cheeks burning. Asuka gave a small laugh.

"It seems you're in the need of some food, eh?"

"Well, I haven't eaten since yesterday evening..", Shikan mumbled, "I was just on my way to the cafeteria." She glanced at Asuka.

"Do you.. want to come with me?"

The man looked back at her, surprised. He considered the offer for a moment. Then he shrugged his shoulders and started walking to the direction of the cafeteria.

"Well, why not. I just came from a mission and a snack wouldn't do any bad."

"Good! I hate eating alone!" Shikan said and started briskly to walk towards the cafeteria.

* * *

"So, you've been.. in one mission now?" Tachibana asked while eating his tuna sandwich. Shikan nodded and swallowed her last mouthful of ramen.

"Yeah, it was.. let me see.. six days ago. There were two Natives on the loose and so our section was commanded to capture them." She tapped her mouth with handkerchief and glanced up at her companion who had suddenly gone quiet. She raised an eyebrow.

"Wha? Got something on my nose?"

Tachibana startled and shook his head, smiling lightly.

"No, nothing. I just.. your manner of speaking just reminded me quickly.. By any chance, have you met a man named Ryuhou yet?"

"Oh, have I? Too many times for my liking. I've seen.. no, _eaten_ dead fishes warmer than his attitude." Shikan snorted slightly. Tachibana let out a nervous laugh and took another bite of his sandwich.

"It seems you don't like him."

"Well, it's not my problem if he wants to act like a three-year-old", Shikan snapped. Now it was Tachibana's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"I apologized him already! But _nooo_, that's not good enough for our Mr. I-got-a-spear-stuck-up-my-ass.."

Tachibana stifled his urge to snicker at Shikan's remark, but his curiosity got over.

"Apologized for what?"

"I-", Shikan started, then realized Asuka didn't know what had happened before she had joined HOLY, and tried not to give such a vulgar image of herself, "I.. well, I was captured as a Native myself. I didn't know who you guys were, and what you were doing, so I was.. rather hostile against him."

It took about two seconds for Tachibana to realize her words' meaning:

"You mean _he_ was the one who captured you?"

Shikan nodded.

"And.. you.. attacked him? With your Alter?"

Shikan nodded again. Tachibana leaned back on his chair and let out a little laughter. He stopped when Shikan gave him a murderous glare.

"I'm sorry. I just.. jeez, now I realize why he's acting so cold!"

"So it really took that long, huh?" Shikan voice could have frozen water. Tachibana looked at her, frowning.

"Look, I didn't mean to insult you in any way."

_"We are not trying to harm you in any way."_

Shikan felt a throb of anger inside her. _I mustn't be angry at Asuka-san. He's not the one who said those words.. he's not the one I hate!_ Still, unable to control herself, Shikan got up a little too harshly and stepped away from the table she and Asuka were sharing.

"I.. need to go to the bathroom", she lied, very poorly, and stormed out of the cafeteria.

* * *

_"Apologized for what?" "You mean he was the one who captured you?"_

Shikan grimaced slightly. _I'm _not _thinking about it, I'm not thinking about it._

"Amae! Concentrate!"

"Gomennasai", she said quietly and focused again on her Alter. Other part of educating the new officers was to teach them how to control their Alters. Shikan managed to keep hers in form, and control it quite well, but sometimes it felt like it was slipping out her grip. That's when she usually dissolved it, trying to avoid attacking others again. _The worst part in this,_ she thought_, is that I hear all the voices over and over again._ She still hadn't figured out a way to attack with her Alter without getting affected by it herself.

_..it's all right, little one.. I won't hurt you.. just be quiet.. I said _quiet_.. shut up, shut up you little SLUT!_

Shikan couldn't keep herself from flinching, her attention faltering. She felt sudden emptiness inside her chest as her Alter dissolved into the air. She heard the older officer, the one responsible of their Alters' educating, sigh deeply.

"All right. I think that's enough for you, Amae-san", he said. Shikan took a deep breath and nodded.

"Hai. Thank you, senpai."

* * *

"You're not saying..?" Ryuhou stared at the commander who nodded.

"I understand you might have some bitter feeling towards her, since you consider her still as a Native, but your team-work is primarily important. In the future, when all your loyalty for HOLY will be measured."

Zigmarl gave Ryuhou one of his long looks.

"I didn't put her in your section for no special reason, Ryuhou."

Ryuhou sighed deep and closed his eyes for a moment. He had to open them immediately as the image of that wretched, _stupid_ little girl popped up inside his mind.

"I understand, sir. I'll do my best.. to co-operate with her."

Zigmarl smiled.

"Good. And there's one another thing. Concerning officer Amae. I think a little test wouldn't do bad to her, either."

Ryuhou frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"A little test, concerning her loyalty to HOLY, and her true Alter abilities."

The two men stared at each other for a moment in silence.

"Don't you feel like she's hiding something, too?" Zigmarl asked. Ryuhou didn't answer straight-away.

"Well, not that I've noticed anything alarming."

"Really? Well, have it your own way. I just thought another mission wouldn't do bad for her. A stronger one. That should give you a clear view of her character."

Ryuhou didn't answer. He stared at the officer with a frown on his face. _A clear view of her character? What does he mean?_ He was about to ask about it when a sharp ringing filled the room. Zigmarl raised the receiver of the phone on his desk.

"Yes? Really? Very well, I'll come down in a minute." He hung up and turned back to Ryuhou.

"Well, I think that was all for now."

"Commander? If you don't mind, who was that on the phone?" Ryuhou asked. Zigmarl walked past him to the door and opened it.

"Nothing for you to be worried about. You'll find out sooner or later."


	4. The unlucky mission

Title: Visio Obscura

Author: KuroiCho 

Genre: OC, drama

Rating: PG-13

A/N: Sorry for not updating for so long! This chapter may be slightly shorter than the others, but I wanted the ending to be a cliffhanger. Anyway, has anyone started to think there's something suspicious in HOLY? Well, if you haven't.. oh well. You'll find out eventually. But I can say there is. Something really rotten.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Oh, and to **NekoGuyFan**, I try not to pair my OCs with anyone. At least not very visibly.

* * *

Shikan walked down the corridor. It was a usual day in the offices, and she was getting used to the constant crowd that strolled on the corridors. _I wonder how much people there really are in HOLY._

"Amae, if you have a moment." A male voice interrupted her thoughts. Shikan stopped walking and took notice of the tall man standing in front of her. She immediately corrected her posture and bowed.

"Commander Zigmarl!" _Shit, making a good impression, am I?_ Zigmarl raised his eyebrows.

"No need to be servile, Amae. I just want to talk with you."

"Oh, okay. I'm listening." She stood up straight again and looked at the commander. He looked serious.

"I already discussed about this with Ryuhou. I'm very pleased to see how you've adjusted to HOLY's manners. After all, I'm expecting a lot from you."

Shikan frowned slightly, "Eh? You are?"

Commander's thin lips curved to a small smile.

"There's another thing I want to talk about..", he said, "And I suppose you can keep this as just a secret between us two."

* * *

He held the file tightly in his hand. As the leading officer in HOLY his duty was also inform Commander of emergencies. And this was a serious one. I can't believe he really finished the whole A3 section on his own! He caught a glimpse of the commander in the end of the corridor and sped up his steps.

"Commander! Commander Zigmarl!"

Zigmarl raised his head and saw Ryuhou running towards him. He frowned.

"Ryuhou, what is it?"

"I'm sorry for the interruption, but we've got a serious situation!" He panted slightly and handed the file to the commander. "The section A3 was sent to capture a Native Alter User, but some troubles came up."

Zigmarl's eyes moved wildly as he read the report.

"_The whole section_?" he exclaimed as he finished reading. Ryuhou nodded.

"A medical unit was sent to tend them and to bring them back. They're on the way."

The commander nodded and thought for a moment. Then he looked at Ryuhou and Shikan.

"Well, he is definitely dangerous, we can't leave him free. Captivating Natives is our duty. Your section will be taking on this commission", he said to Ryuhou, who nodded:

"Wakarimashita."

Commander Zigmarl also nodded to Shikan.

"This'll be a good training for her. If you remember our conversation, Ryuhou."

Ryuhou blinked. The commander gave him a long look, then turned around and walked away. Shikan looked him go and turned then to Ryuhou.

"Should we get ready?"

"Yes, the rest of the section will be convened in a minute."

* * *

"Now, I just want everyone to be extra careful. This Native has already taken down the whole A3 section and I don't want that to happen to us." There was a slight uneasy movement in the group. Ryuhou nodded.

"Well then, if that's clear to everyone, let's split up."

The group started searching around the area. Some went in pairs, but Shikan decided against it. She took off to the left side of the slums and dived into the dark streets.

The pavement was full of crevices, the houses just mere piles of junk. _I can't believe some people live this poorly!_ A faint smell of rot drifted through the air. Shikan walked promptly but stopped when she though she had heard something. She pricked up her ears and stood still. But she heard nothing, not even a wind blew through the area. She shrugged her shoulders and continued walking but then she felt something gripping her ankle. She tried to look down but before she could react that someone pulled hard and she fell to the ground.

"I-Itai..", she gasped under her breath. Her attacker now grabbed her neck and pulled her up. Shikan felt it was hard to breathe.

"Hmm..", the Native said with a small smile, "You look too pretty to be in HOLY, don't you? I'll have some real fun tonight."

Without being able to make any resistance, Shikan was being dragged into one of the shacks. She managed to shout help before darkness surrounded her.

* * *

"Wait, did you hear something?" Ryuhou stopped his colleague and they listened for a while.

"It sounded like a girl.. could it be Okagawa?" Ryuhou asked.

"It can't be.. I know she went with Takashi, and she was on the right side."

"Really? Then.. was it..", Ryuhou drifted off when he realized there were only two women in their section. _Amae_. He gestured the other man come along and they started running to the direction of the scream.

* * *

Shikan felt the damp ground beneath her. The Native had threw her on her back and then barricaded the weak door. His voice was definitely moving closer.

"Yes, a pretty piece you are.. I'm going to have some fun tonight."

Shikan tried to sit up but then the man took hold of her wrist and pushed her down with his other hand. She spat on his face. Shikan could hear him laughing quietly.

"Fierce one. Oh, I _like_ fierce women.." He moved on top of her, still holding her down. Shikan forced herself not to panic, but it wasn't working. She tried calling her Alter, but for some reason she was unable to summon it. She felt sudden coldness in the pit of her stomach. _Fear_.

"Come on now.. give daddy his fun, ne? I'm not going to hurt you, I'm sure you'll like this." His other hand started wandering around her body and Shikan let out a whimper of fear. She faintly saw him grinning.

"See? I told you."

"..no.. Let me go.. let me go..!"

Quiet snickering. "Nu-uh."

Shikan felt her eyes stinging. She didn't want to cry. Something warm and wet rolled down her cheek.

_Blam!_ She felt the man jump with surprise at the sudden banging on the door.

"Is someone in there! Answer!"

Shikan felt both fear and relief. _Ryuhou. He.. He's here?_ She didn't want to be saved by him again. And most of all she didn't want him to see her in this position. _Please don't save me,_ she thought. _Please, please save me._

The door moved slightly. A thin, faint line of light fell to the ground floor.

"Amae? Are you there?"

Shikan's tears dried on her cheeks. She opened her mouth to answer but the man hit her and got up. He ran to the door and slammed it shut. Shikan heard Ryuhou and someone other banging on the door. She was halfway up when the man came back to her and hit her so hard she fell down again.

"Who said you could get up!"

Shikan almost started crying again, but she felt a hole in the man's barrier. _So it was his Alter stopping me?_

"_Visio Obscura_", she quickly whispered. The familiar feeling filled her from her toes to the head, the pain fading away slightly. The man tried attacking her again, curses flying out of his mouth.

"You stupid bitch! Why don't you _ever_ listen!"

_..why can't you just keep quiet... it won't.. won't hurt, little one.._

Shikan felt herself shaking.

"I.. hate you..", she slowly raised her head, "I _hate_ you. I really do. _I hate you.. you, and all of your kind!_" She realized she had stepped forwards and her hand was reaching to take hold of the Native. _I simply, deeply_ hate _him.. I wish.. I wish he would just die_. Something shook her whole body. She felt a whole new power push through her, through her head, hands..

The banging on the door was only a quiet noise on the background. And suddenly Shikan felt the man like she didn't feel before, felt his life.. running through her fingers.. all the time slightly weaker than before..

"Amae!" The door swung open in the same moment she felt her Alter dissolve into the air. She knew Ryuhou was staring at her. She knew she was probably bleeding. She knew she still had tears on her cheeks.

She, Ryuhou and his colleague all stared at the Native who lay on the ground, dead.


	5. Painful memories

Title: Visio Obscura

Author: KuroiCho 

Genre: OC, drama

Rating: Touching R in this chapter.

A/N: Ookie. Finally out from the hiatus. Sorry to make you wait! bow bow bow Aaand.. in this chapter you finally get to find out all the shit in Shikan's past. Some really heavy shit. And I hope you all know how Ryuhou himself found his Alter abilities. Because if not, you'll probably get some spoilers.. gomen ne. I'm happy with the flashback-thingie, but somehow I just hate writing Shikan all teary-like. She's better when she's the "strong female"-type character. In my opinion, at least (and I'm the author, mind you).

* * *

The cold, dead feeling in the pit of the stomach. The one you feel when you know you're really in trouble. When you know that nothing can save you.. 

A hand slammed onto the table.

"_Why_ didn't you tell your Alter abilities had developed that far! It's your duty and responsibility, Amae! You're a HOLY officer! You have to take responsibity from your actions! Oh, I can't even imagine when the commander hears about this.. A dead Alter user is no good.."

Shikan didn't even try to apologize. She knew it wouldn't be any use. Besides, she was still shaking too much to even think properly. _I.. can't believe.. I did it.. even though I promised I wouldn't do it.._

There was a sharp knock on the door. The officer who had been "interrogating" her (more like shouting accusations at her) turned around and opened it. His furious temperament changed almost amusingly fast to humble politeness.

"Ryuhou-sensei! I'm surprised to see you.. I thought they wouldn't bother you with this thing.."

"As I am the leading officer of section A2, it's obvious it'd land on me to take care of this", Ryuhou noted coolly. He turned to look at Shikan over the man's shoulder.

"Amae, come with me", he ordered, Shikan flinching slightly at the coldness of his voice. She hastily stood up and followed him out from the room.

_Just like when I arrived_, she thought while walking down corridor after corridor, not changing a single word with the man walking ahead of her, _him acting towards me as coldly as if I was a rubbish bin_.. Abrubtly they stopped in front of a door. Ryuhou quickly dialled a number code to the lock on the door and it opened with a soft swish. They stepped through it and Shikan realized they had come to a balcony-like projection, high in the air, the whole city spreading below them. A cold wind blew across the balcony, making Shikan shiver.

"So", Ryuhou said, his voice indifferent from before, "I'm waiting for an explanation."

Shikan swallowed hard. She opened her mouth but closed it before she could say anything. _I can't say it so.. bluntly._ She tried again.

"I.. wasn't quite aware of my doings. All I could think of was my own safety. It was self-defence."

"Self-defence doesn't usually include killing your attacker", Ryuhou commented. Shikan bit her lip, annoyance rising inside her.

"Well, I don't see what else I could've done except use my Alter to protect myself-"

"You could've waited for more experienced and skilled people to come in and handle with him-"

"He tried to _rape_ me!" Shikan finally shouted. Ryuhou turned around, slight shock egding into his features. Whether from her sudden shouting or the content of her exclamation, she did not know. But the anger inside her wasn't gone yet.

"How could you understand! How long would've it took from you to get in, huh? And in what position would've I've been then? You - don't - understand! You can't realize how horrible, disgusting it is to have someone just- just- coming over you like that! I'm not going to let that happen again-!" She stopped abrubtly, staring in front of her, but not looking at Ryuhou. She turned away from him and didn't speak another word.

Ryuhou was just quiet. The sudden silence, the shouting.. something started clicking in his head, but it wouldn't just get ready for him to grasp it.

"S-So..", he tried opening the conversation again, "How long have you been able to summon your Alter into it's final stage?"

Shikan mumbled something. Ryuhou sighed.

"Look, I need to know this, it'll maybe help you with your troubles you've already got with HOLY.."

"Since.. since I was a child", Shikan answered with a small voice, "Since I was 10 and used my Alter power for the first time." Ryuhou's breath got stuck in his throat.

"First time?" Shikan nodded. Ryuhou opened his mouth to speak again, for a thought had uninvitedly clicked into place in his mind, and before he realized to consider again, he spoke:

"But.. the destructive power.. you can actually kill a person. Did you.. attack someone or..", his voice faded away. Shikan turned around to face him. Ryuhou looked at her.

"What happened then? Something that made you use all that power..?" Shikan stared at him quietly for so long, that Ryuhou started to wonder if she had heard him at all.

"What happened..", she whispered, ".. is something that I don't want to speak of neither do you want to hear about."

"I do!" Ryuhou shouted and Shikan winced at the sudden change in his manner of speaking, "I mean.. hell, it's never painless to find your powers. I.. when I found my powers it was when my whole home town.. was destroyed. My whole family.. killed."

Shikan swallowed a lump from her throat. For the first time the man looked.. like a human. Not a robot or a doll with a face made of hard plastic. For the first time she saw emotions on Ryuhou's face. And probably that's what cracked her shell as well.

"I..", she spoke, throat dry as a desert, ".. very well. If you want to know."

She turned around again, took hold of the balcony's railing and tried to clear her mind for a moment. Ryuhou stepped closer to her. After quite a long silence, Shikan finally started speaking.

"When I was a child, I didn't yet know of my Alter abilities. My parents didn't know either. I had.. a happy childhood. I mean, my parents were away most of the time, but they had a friend who spent a lot of time with me. I think he was a childhood friend of my father's. He'd take me to amusement parks and to picnics. All that stuff. He felt like a second father to me.

I had wanted to go visit a zoo on the other side of the Lost Ground for ages, "Yakkihya Zoo", you know it? Anyway, my parents hesitated because it was such a long way away. But he convinced them to let me go with him. So, once then we finally got on the journey to there. I was.. so excited. I mean, I had heard so much about the place.

The journey was fun for some time. He joked all the time, like he had the habit to. And then.. I don't remember exactly when I realized we were getting futher off from the main roads. I asked him about it, and he laughed and said I shouldn't worry, that he'd probably gotten a bit lost. So he decided to stop off at the side of a road and said I could walk around a bit if I wouldn't go too far. Well, I was glad to have a chance to stretch a bit, so I went for a small walk in a close forest path. I didn't go too far, just enough close to hear him if I'd need to go back. And.. I was walking around when I heard steps behind me, and thought it was him. I thought I had gone too far into the forest, but.. then.."

Shikan stopped for a moment, her eyes fixed to stare before her, strained expression slowly spreading on her face. She took a deep breath.

"He.. grabbed me. Pushed me down to the ground and put his hand in front of my mouth. I.. tried to ask him.. what was going on. But I.. he.."

Ryuhou's eyes widened. He started to foresee the happenings. Shikan's hand were tightly clasped around the railing and she was bracing herself from shaking. Her voice, though, slipped from her control.

"I was raped. By a family friend. When I was 10-year-old. I don't remember much of it now.. I guess I've blocked it away. But.. when I did come back to myself again, realized what had happened. The pain and humiliation.. it all was just too much..

I.. got out of control. I know it now. I felt all this power with me all of a sudden, and just wanted to make him feel it, to hurt him. With my Alter I can sort of.. _feel_ their life. Feel it running through my fingers. And then I just.. make it stop."

Ryuhou tried to remember to breathe. He still had a vivid memory of what it was like when Shikan attacked him with her Alter.. the man he saw, and the horrible pain..

"You killed him?" he gasped. She nodded.

"The next thing I knew was me standing there, crying. He was lying on the ground. I didn't even bother to check his pulse."

They both were quiet. Ryuhou tried to deal with all what he'd heard. And he started to understand. _Her Alter.. she centres all those feelings in it.. that's where it gets its form_.

"But.. if he was dead.. how did you get back home?"

"It took around a day. I think we hadn't gotten that far as I thought. And how I found my way.. I sort of concentrated my thoughts on my father and mother, like I had concentrated my anger on him, and just walked. My parents really freaked out when they saw me. I was all dirty and tired as hell. They asked if something had happened. I told them that his car had broken down, so we had to postpone our trip. I said he'd taken me home by foot and then left. Said I didn't know where he went.

I got away that time. But then people noticed his disappearing. They started to ask questions. And a few way around my parents started to suspect me. And when they finally found out I was an Alter User, my mom drove me away from home. I've never seen or heard from them since."

She quietened up again, seemingly finished. Ryuhou didn't dare to say anything. He didn't even look at her. _10-year-old.. she was just a child.. having to leave her parents.. like I did.. _

He turned to look at her and was -in some level- shocked to find her near collapsing. Her shoulders were shaking violently as Ryuhou placed a hand on her left one. She flinched and looked at him.

"Ama- Shikan..", he called her by her first name. For a moment he though she was going to hit him but insted her face crumbled, but she didn't shed a tear. Probably she couldn't let herself to cry. Not in front of him, at least. Ryuhou felt -surprisingly- slightly offended.

"Shikan.. you.. it's all right", he said quietly, "It's all right.." She took a shuddering breath and, for a moment, tried to say something but when she opened her mouth she could only manage a sob. She let go of the railing and fell forwards Ryuhou who caught her and let her cry for the first time in many, many years.


	6. The second disappearance

Title: Visio Obscura

Author: KuroiCho 

Genre: OC, drama

Rating: PG-13

A/N: Yaay. The sixth chapter. So. Um. Now you're starting to find out just how shitty HOLY is on the inside. Major problems coming up in the next chapters. Oh, and notice that I haven't seen the series till the end, so I don't know how the HOLY ends up in the anime. This is just my speculation. Again, endless thanks to everyone who reviewed, I'm sorry I keep tormenting you with my irregular updates.

* * *

After a time that felt like aeons, Shikan regained control of herself. Tears she had been holding since her childhood finally freed themselves. Freed themselves and... something else. Shikan stood up properly, taking support from Ryuhou and tried considerately wipe her cheeks.

"I'm okay now", she said. Ryuhou gave a small smile, "I'm glad to hear that."

"Mm.. You know, I think..", Shikan said, then paused for a moment and gave a great yawn, "I think I'm ready for bed."

"Righto. Shall I escort the lady to her chambers?" Ryuhou said jokingly when they stepped inside. Shikan gave him a weak punch in the arm.

"Shall you escort the puffy-eyed gal to her more or less closet-sized room, more like. And no, thanks." She turned to the corridor leading to her apartment and stopped.

"But.. um. Really. Thanks. For.. you know. I mean it", she said. Ryuhou nodded, although she couldn't see it, and said:

"Goodnight."

"'Night."

* * *

A sharp, high-pitched, buzzing noise jerked Shikan out of the sweet, warm slumber. She turned her side and tried to ignore the noise. When it didn't repeat itself after some time she happily burrowed into the sheets and almost fell asleep again..

_BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBRRRRZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!_

"Oh, for fuck's sake..", Shikan muttered and with huge effort, dragged herself up from her bed and staggered to the door. She opened it to a crack and peered outside.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Amae-san", said a strangely familiar male voice. She saw a flash of purple hair in the hallway and an image of a memory floated into her head.

"Oh, Tachi- I mean, Asuka-san. What are you doing here?" she asked in a slightly muffled voice and stifled a yawn.

"_Well_, I just thought I should wake you up, considering it 's already 8.10 AM, so.."

"How nice of you, but doesn't..", she paused, processing the information just given to her, "Say what?"

"8.10 AM, Amae-san", replied Asuka's voice from behind the door, "You're late."

* * *

And so, around 15 minutes later, Shikan Amae ran frantically down the corridors, without proper showering, without any breakfast, and cussing under her breath.

"Fuckfuckfuckfuckingfuck.. Sensei's going to kill me!" She turned around another corner and saw the door of the auditorium looming in the corridor. She sped up her run and screeched to a halt by the door. Trying to even her breath, she knocked politely and opened the door.

"Gomennasai! I know I'm late, but-", she stopped. The classroom was pretty much in chaos. The younger officers were huddled in small groups, all talking in hushed voices. There were are a few older officers as well, but they were discussing in their own small group and didn't give her more than a glance. Shikan slipped into the room, bits of whispered conversations catching her ear here and then.

"I mean, I saw her last evening, I couldn't have guessed anything..."

"...but apparently she wasn't seen outside the headquarters.."

"... you ask me, I was feeling like something like this was going to happen.."

Shikan walked past the groups, wondering what had happened. She stopped next to one of the groups and tapped a girl near her own age on her shoulder.

"Excuse me, I seem to have missed something. Could someone tell me what has happened?"

The other officers gave her a long and disbelieving look.

"You seriously haven't heard?"

"Misaki's gone missing."

Shikan frowned slightly. She hadn't really gotten known of her fellow officers.

"Ah, I see.. When?"

"Last night.. I think", said one of the younger officers, "Though they didn't notice it until this morning."

"Right." Shikan thought this for a moment. "Well, I'm sure she'll be found soon. Maybe she's just.. I don't know, taking a day off or something." The girl shook her head sadly.

"No way", she said, "She didn't say anything like that to me. She was my _friend_."

"And besides", intervened another officer, "She's not the first one who's gone missing." Shikan raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

The officer nodded. "Last week, I think, Shikuza disappeared. They said she went to an.. what was it.. Oh yes, 'advanced education camp'."

"They?" asked Shikan.

"They, you know", said the officer, "The guys from the upper step. The commander."

* * *

The commander Zigmarl stared down at the man in front of him.

"I don't care _why_ it doesn't work, I just want to know _when_ will it be ready!"

The man startled and fumbled nervously with his glasses.

"Ah, yes, commander", he said, "I see that, but I dare to say the main problem is in the sources of energy, sir. They have the habit to.. ah, _drain_ too fast, sir."

Zigmarl sighed heavily and leaned back on his armchair.

"You can't expect me to find you a new 'guinea pig' every day, can you? The others are already getting suspicious."

"But the stuff about the education camp went down without arguments, no?"

"Yes, but for long? That's the question.." The phone of his desk rang with a shrill sound and he picked it up.

"Yes? Oh, you're here. Yes, please come in." He put the phone down again and turned to the man with the glasses.

"You get out now", he said with a poisonous tone in his voice, "I'll come around in the evening and I want a full report of how you're going to fix the situation."

The man bowed deep, "Yes, sir!" and turned around to leave. As he left the room, Ryuhou entered. "Commander."

Zigmarl turned to him. "Ryuhou. Glad to see you this soon."

Ryuhou walked across the room and stopped in front of the desk.

"We haven't still found any clues concerning the disappearance of officer Torimo Misaki. According to our sources, she wasn't seen outside the headquarters."

Zigmarl tapped his desk with his fingers.

"Yes, about that. I have decided to mark this off as a runaway case."

Ryuhou blinked. "But. But commander! That would be a violation of the rules! This is a serious case of disappearance, and it shouldn't be--"

"Head Officer Ryuhou", Zigmarl's voice made Ryuhou's speech get stuck in his throat, "You dare to stand against your commander's order?"

Ryuhou took a deep breath and said in a considerably calmer tone,

"No, sir."

"Then, go and inform officer Torimo's case as a runaway. You're dismissed." Zigmarl turned his attention away from Ryuhou and he bowed and left the room.

* * *

After some time the older officers told them to leave. Apparently the lecture had to be cancelled, so Shikan wandered in the hallways, feeling more or less exhausted. She stopped in front of a message board and stood there staring at the endless lists of lectures. After around five minutes she realized she hadn't registered a single word from the board. _God, I need some sleep_. Her stomach rumbled loudly. _God, I need some food_. And like right on cue, somebody tapped her on her shoulder and said:

"Amae-san, you okay?" Shikan turned her head and saw Asuka's nervous smile behind her shoulder.

"Oh, yeah. Just..", she gave a magnificent yawn, ".. a little tired and all. Hungry."

Asuka gave her another of his plain smiles.

"Well, then", he said, "The cafeteria should be open. Should we head there?"

"Fan_tastic_ idea."

* * *

The cafeteria was almost empty at that time of the morning. Only a few other officers sat around, chatting idly. Shikan hauled an enormous brunch over to the table she shared with Asuka and started stuffing it into her mouth. Asuka was satisfied with a sandwich and tried to keep up some sort of a small-talk. Shikan mainly nodded and mumbled something agreeing to the things he mentioned. Then he brought up a subject Shikan was interested in, too.

"I heard a younger officer went missing again", he said. Shikan stopped chewing for a while, then swallowed and said:

"Yeah, I heard too. That's why our lecture was cancelled."

"You didn't mention anything about that. Anyway, apparently they haven't given an official announcement yet. Though they seemed to be investigating the case pretty seriously.."

Asuka trailed off and stared somewhere over Shikan's shoulder. Then he waved his hand.

"Oy! Ryuhou-san! Over here!"

Shikan turned over and saw the green-haired man walking towards them. He nodded at Shikan, not a sign of their last night's meeting showing on his face, and then turned at Asuka.

"What is it, Tachibana-san?"

"_Asuka_. Asuka's fine. Has there been any news about the lost officer?"

"Not officially, Tachibana-san, no. But.. well, it's going to be announced soon anyway.." Ryuhou pulled out a chair and sat down.

"The only way it can be explained is a runaway", he said, "The investigations don't give much clues.."

"But", said Asuka doubtfully, "Everyone said she didn't leave the headquarters in the evening." Ryuhou shrugged.

"It's probable she sneaked out in the middle of the night. Not all feel comfortable in HOLY. And excuse me..", he stood up again, "I'm afraid I need to leave you again." He nodded to Shikan again and left them.

* * *

The talk had subdued by the evening. The officers still walked in small groups rather than alone in the hallways but the constant whispering had died out. By the time commander Zigmarl left his office and headed to the lower floors of the headquarters the corridors were almost empty.

He went to the lowest floor and inserted a number code, only known to him and a few other persons in the organization, into a door and it slid open. He stepped into a spacious room, of which most of the space was taken by a monstrous-looking machinery. He cleared his throat and one of the many technicians scuttling around the room hurried over to him.

"The report?" the commander asked curtly. The man handed him a stack of papers filled with complicated figures. Zigmarl studied them for some time and then raised his eyes, his expression now much more approving.

"So you've located the last error?" The man nodded excitedly.

"Yes, sir! It was surprisingly simple, we're now working on fixing it. It should be ready tomorrow. We'll be ready for another test by then."

Zigmarl nodded. "I'll find an appropriate 'guinea pig' for tomorrow, then."

"Yes, sir."

"Keep on working", he said, turning around. He opened the door to leave and said over his shoulder, "I'm pleased with your work."

"Thank you, sir!" the man said, bowing deep as the door closed, leaving the endless clacking as the only sound in the room.


End file.
